rewatching Flanagan's (incredible, jaw-dropping) Midnight Mass and if anyone can comp to this show ... I would like to see it, please #mswl (this is your October version of "Julie is once again on the hunt for literary vampire stories")
鈥ut if you鈥檙e writing SFF in these age categories and you don鈥檛 think any of this describes your book, try me anyway! I am surprised often and I read so widely in this space that it鈥檚 always worth a shot.
Across the board give me:
+ more Austen and Shakespeare retellings (I鈥檓 a simple girl)
+ more court intrigue and clever protagonists, from Marie Rutkoski to Natasha Ngan to Arkady Martine I love them in all forms
+ more soft magic (ie no rules)
+ more fantasy mysteries
For contemporary stories, I am looking for confident high-concept speculative novels 脿 la Ann Liang. I am very selective in the YA realistic space, and I鈥檓 looking for super commercial, funny, and well-plotted.
In YA SFF: I prefer my romance to be a b-plot, and would love more atmosphere-forward storytelling 脿 la Ava Reid or Axie Oh. Especially interested in folktale/myth-inspired stories from underrepresented voices.
For adult fiction in general, give me more books that blend genre. All stories are mysteries, and I love a book that leans into its mystery element even if it鈥檚 not actively a mystery novel. I also love fabulist or surrealist stories, broadly.
In adult horror, I am more a fan of the psychological than the monstrous, unless the monster is a metaphor. I would love something darkly comic; I would love something in the vein of BOY PARTS.
Speaking of which, a specific ask I have is more speculative heist novels. I am dying to see more books that have the delightful sleight of hand of Leigh Bardugo or Scott Lynch or Margaret Owen. Not assassins. Con artists, doing con artist things!
In adult SFF: give me big and epic in scope without sacrificing character work. Touchpoints I鈥檝e been thinking of lately are THE STARS UNDYING, BARU CORMORANT, and INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE. I love intricate worldbuilding and being tricked by the narrative!
I鈥檓 looking primarily for adult and YA fiction right now. (No nonfiction pls, and I don鈥檛 work on anything younger than MG.) I am a genre lover first and foremost, and I鈥檓 always looking for underrepresented voices (more on that below).
here are some some books I鈥檝e worked on previously if you want an idea of what I dig鈥攔omance, deep worldbuilding, political intrigue, underrepresented perspectives all a plus
So excited to get back in the game. Thank you in advance to everyone who queries, can't wait to see what you've been working on! manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/kesia-lupo/ 馃У
For adult fiction only (since these genres don't apply to children's): 4. Bookclub/women鈥檚 fiction: Voice-driven, high-concept novels across these categories. 5. Romance: Upmarket romance with a great one-line pitch. Happy with spice.